Once you get on the agenda, do your homework. You know a lot about your own agency audiences and decision processes, but you may need to address others as well. By doing some research on the Internet, in the public library, by looking through a legislative directory, or reading newspaper clippings, you can find out a number of things about other audiences before you walk into a room to make your presentation. Your presentation should address the concerns that they may have with your policy area in general and with your IT initiative in particular.

If you are meeting with an elected official, you should know his political party, the committees he sits on, his occupation, and the governance structure in his district. If you are meeting with a specific government agency, you should have a good understanding of their day-to-day operations and what their role would be in the project. If you are presenting to a community organization, ask what types of projects the group has sponsored in the community and request a list of recent speakers. If you are trying to get your story picked up by a media outlet, you should have a good understanding of how they cover stories in your policy area and how they feel about spending on government IT projects.

Table 2 summarizes the kinds of presentations that are well suited to each kind of external audience.

Table 2: Presentation methods suitable for external target audiences
Audiences	Preferred delivery methods
Elected officials and policy advisors	Presentations - address a legislative committee or a group of elected officials Meetings - elected officials and/or their staff members may prefer to meet in their office or a conference room; the meeting is likely to be short
Related professionals	Presentations - at regularly scheduled meetings of professional organizations, associations, unions Newsletter articles - written for inclusion in regular professional publications Informal networks - actively encourage your staff to talk about the project with their colleagues
Community groups	Presentations - at their regularly scheduled membership meetings Informal networks - actively encourage community group members to talk to family, friends, and community residents about the benefits of the project
Local and regional news media	Press conferences - creating newsworthy events for your project Press releases - announcing newsworthy events Op/Ed (opinion/editorial) articles - enlisting community leaders to write articles that appeal for public support for your initiative Letters to the editor - clear and brief letters highlighting key points of the business case

Presentation meetings.

Most often the venue will be a meeting. When planning the meeting be sure you know who will participate, who will speak, what they will say, what you want to accomplish, what specific actions or decisions you want from the official, and any other important issues. Create and send out an agenda to all participants, and plan to arrive at the meeting place with enough time to set up and become familiar with the meeting room. Be sure to brief all those who are attending the meeting with you about their roles and what you expect them to do. Assume you will only have a few minutes to present your case. It is important to give a brief overview of your case, highlighting the problems, solutions, and benefits associated with the initiative. The details of your case - the perceived risks and the nuts and bolts of your initiative - should be included in the printed materials you leave behind. Be prepared to answer those questions in case they come up during your presentation. Have someone in your group record the comments and questions raised, and the main points of the discussion.

Leave a brief, well-organized information packet behind. Include such items as news stories and editorials, a cost/benefit analysis, and proposed legislation or memorandums of support. And be sure to send a letter of thanks in which you briefly restate the issue and relate any progress that has been made since your meeting. Give a name and telephone number to call for any questions or additional information.

Computer-enhanced presentations

In certain venues, you may want to present your case using presentation software. Regardless of the technology you use, keep your presentation simple and direct and focused on the concerns of your specific audience. It helps to have an outline from

which to build your slides. One general rule to follow when creating your slides: less is more. Screens crowded with words or special effects are difficult to read. Stick with one typeface, or two at the most. Make your key points with simple, short bullets. Be sure to test the computer and projection equipment carefully, at the presentation site if possible. Always have either backup equipment or alternative media (such as overheads) available.

Op-ed articles and letters to the editor

Local newspapers often provide space for community leaders to voice their opinions on topics. An op-ed piece provides an avenue to clearly present an argument for a particular project and backs it up with facts. An op-ed piece will be most effective coming from a recognized leader in the community. A published op-ed piece is a good addition to the press packets and printed materials you use as you continue to market your business case.

Letters to the editor can help increase awareness of your project and keep it fresh in readers' minds. Letters to the editor should be brief, and they should cover the main themes of your message that need to be repeated often to take hold with the public.

Press releases

Newsrooms receive dozens of press releases every day, so reserve these for newsworthy events and limit them to one or two pages. A press release can be used to announce key milestones in your effort, such as the support of a new champion, the introduction of legislation, the receipt of funding, or the implementation of the project. Press releases should include the details - the who, what, where, when, why, and how - of your story and a contact name and number for reporters to call if they have questions.

Articles for specialty publications

Publications like professional association newsletters provide a captive audience for your business case. These publications look for articles on current events affecting their members. Contact the editors and offer to write a short article for inclusion in their next issue.